Gear Review: Backcountry Access Tracker2

With an idiot-proof design, this beacon takes the guesswork (and lag-time) out of searching for buried avalanche victims. It’s the only beacon tested that we could take out of the box and start using without hours of reading and practicing. In default mode, it transmits your location, then—avalanche!—just tap the mitten-friendly toggle to start searching. If you’re within 40 meters of your victim, a number will pop up on the screen, indicating the distance. Then one of five lights will point you in the right direction. Just keep the beacon oriented so the center light is always on, and the Tracker will guide you in. “With other beacons, I’ve worried that in a true emergency, I wouldn’t be calm enough to hold down the right button or stay on a track,” says one Colorado-based tester. “But not now.” In multiple burial situations, the Tracker2 locks onto the closest signal and masks out the others. $335; 8.8 oz.; backcountryaccess.com